Flea Season
by side-fish
Summary: It's that time of year again when the furs are shedding and the paws are scratching. And for the first time, one familiar bunny from Bunnyburrows will get to experience it… first paw.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So I was talking with a friend about how I plan to put a chapter like this in my story, Snake in the Big City. Then I asked him the question if I should make this a standalone. I told him the premise would be very different to the one I planned in a supposed future chapter. I agreed with his advice and made this a standalone story, and while I was writing this story, it kinda reminded me of a tickle fic (I blame you. You know who you are :P), but it won't be that much… I think. I also thought of making this a one-shot, but after realizing that I could not finish everything before the weekend ends, I'm gonna make this a two-parter. I'm gonna postpone my update of Snake in the Big City by a week or two to accommodate this, but do check that out. This will be a light-hearted fanfic so enjoy.

* * *

Flea Season (Part 1)

Fleas have existed since the times of savages. Every mammal would have its own parasitic blood sucker attached to their skin and there were many many different kinds of fleas. But as time progressed, mammals evolved. And as mammals evolved, so too did these blood suckers. And there would eventually be a one size fits all that affects any mammal that resides in the great city of Zootopia when it's that time of year again when the furs are shedding and the paws are scratching. And for the first time, one familiar bunny from Bunnyburrows will get to experience it… first paw.

Judy and Nick had just finished their shift from the ZPD. But they don't usually head home soon afterwards. The night is still young of course, and that night, they opted to take the time to eat out in a restaurant that's a little more upscale than what they usually eat, whether with each other or alone. Judy enjoyed Nick's company. Being a country girl in a big city can always make a daunting impression on herself or any country folk for that matter. There was a prominent example right now as she looked at the number forks and spoons on the table, a specific one for every purpose. Surely, you do not need that many spoons and forks. But she had Nick now to show her the ins and outs of the city. Now, Zootopia feels like her second home. She could feel that she was now a part of the big picture. And with that, she grabbed the spoon with the more circular top known as a soup spoon… just like that. Her adjustment to city life was well, if not exceptional.

After dinner, it was only expected of Nick to accompany her lady to her residence, a small apartment unit in downtown. It was but a simple walk, nothing fancy as her home was nearby. They were just enjoying the rest of the night. Her attention to her surroundings lowered as Judy could not help but look beside her. A look at Nick. She could not help it, but sometimes, she thought of him as her knight in shining armor. They eventually arrive and Nick gave his farewell.

"Thanks Nick. I had a great time." She said to him, her voice sincere.

Nick looked at her in her typical half-lidded gaze and that trademark smile. "Anything for you, Carrots. I'll see you tomorrow."

This was definitely one of the more enjoyable nights. Judy wished she had more nights like these.

But she had work the next day.

And so, she went to bathroom and did her routines. After she had brushed her pearly whites, it was time to hit the hay. She closed the light from her reading lamp, then lay down on the bed, tucking herself between the blanket and the bedsheet. She closed her eyes and soon fell into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

She woke up the next day at 5:30 in the morning, eager to start the day. She did her morning routines and was ready to leave the unit, all in under thirty minutes. She began walking out of the building and headed for the train station. Things were going fine.

And then it started.

While she was walking, she felt an itch. It started under her right foot, but she paid no mind to it. By the time she would reach the station, it would probably be gone, she thought. And so she continued her steps, but as she continued her way, the itch felt getting stronger and stronger. The tingling sensation had spread from under her right foot to in between her toes. Suddenly, the urge to stop and scratch it off seemed to increase. And so, she paused for a moment and did her best to scratch the soles of her foot using her right paw without tickling herself.

But it was a mistake.

Now, her right paw started to itch as well, and it was beginning to irritate her.

She made her way to the train station and went to the platform of the inner loop line. By that time, her itch had made its way to both of her legs, her right paw and her right ear. Ears being sensitive to touch, Judy could not help but twitch her ears as the itch grew stronger and stronger. She resisted any urges to make a scratch on the thought it might just spread and get worse, but it did anyway with or without her help.

At the ZPD, Nick had already arrived a few minutes before.

… and before Judy apparently.

He realized this when Clawhauser greeted him. "Well this is a change. Nick arriving before Judy, never thought I'd see that day." This was a rather strange occurrence. It would seem that she was slowly rubbing off on him. Either that or she was getting sloppy. He did not put more thought to it. Nick greeted Clawhauser and proceeded to the bullpen.

With a box of assorted donuts on his left and a cup of coffee on his right, Clawhauser continued to play with his phone in the front desk. Gazelle had released a new app apparently. This time, they improved it to add three more animals dancing alongside Gazelle. But just as he was about to look for pictures on his Zoogle photos, the familiar sight of gray bunny ears came into view. Clawhauser smiled and leaned forward the desk to greet Judy Hopps. "How's my favorite bunny cop doi- Holy Cow! What happened to you!" Clawhauser stood up in shock.

Judy Hopps looked like she woke up from the street. Her eyes and ears were twitching, her paws were scratching in so many places that she never knew her arms could reach, her feet were twisted inward, her right foot constantly slapping the floor, and her toes curled in the most uncomfortable way possible. Rashes started appearing and the strands of her gray fur were falling off.

"Hey… C-Clawhauser." She replied with a jumpy voice, not bothering to slowdown the strokes of her small claws to her body. "P-Please tell me, I'm still early."

Clawhauser gave a look of concern to her rabbit friend. "Judy? Uh… are you okay? You look like you should see a doctor."

"I'm fine. Just… p-p-peachy." Her left eye blinked and her foot tapping increased dramatically. "Are they in the b-bullpen?"

"Yeah, the morning assembly begins in a few minutes."

"I should get g-going." The bunny said as she paced her way out of the main lobby.

Clawhauser looked at the fleeing bunny with worry and confusion as he steadily put a chocolate donut with candy sprinkles into his waiting mouth.

Inside the bullpen, Nick was starting to worry as he looked beside the empty seat on his left. It was unlike Carrots to be this late. Well, technically she still was not late, but she was never late at being early.

But there's a first time for everything apparently. Chief Bogo arrived at the bullpen.

"Alright! Settle down! Settle down!" He declared. His authoritative voice calmed the entire room to silence.

"We have three items on the docket…"

Nick was officially worried now. It was unlike of Carrots to be officially late, if she will even come at all. He was about to phone her, when Bogo looked his way.

"It appears we're an officer short." Bogo declared. "Wilde! Where is Officer Hopps!"

"I'm about to call her, sir. She didn't say anything about not reporting for work."

He dialed her number and was about to press the call button on the touch screen when the door behind them opened. Everyone looked with their mouths agape, the chief no exception. Nick just stared in shock and disbelief. Judy, her partner, looked so terrible. She was usually clean and very presentable. Public image is an important part of being an officer after all, always looking your very best. This was one of her very philosophies, so the bunny over the back door was a bit of an eyebrow raiser. Was this the same Judy Hopps he'd known when they first met? This wasn't her or was this an impostor, wasn't it? The bunny presented herself in the most unlady-like way. With all the scratching and clawing, the hair falling, the ear flicking, the eye-twitching, the stiff movements… she looked like a creation of Doctor Frankenswine. Nick pressed the call button just to be sure.

And then her phone rang.

* * *

It was not even a request or a suggestion. Bogo had ordered Judy out of the bullpen and into the infirmary for observation by the physician. Judy had protested, but Nick eventually convinced her, explaining that she would not be a good role model looking like this from public eyes. She had said this to him many times before. Seeing as she can't disagree with herself, she had nodded and went to the infirmary. Thank heavens, Bogo allowed Nick to accompany her. Now, she was seated on the infirmary bed as she was being examined by the physician, a female porcupine. She wore her spectacles and initially checked her ears, which bothered the patient a lot. Judy would scratch it now and then. She checked her arms until she went to inspect her feet, which seemed to be where most of the itching sensation was. She would take notes now and then.

Nick had a look of concern on his face. Eventually, the suspense had reached its peak for the fox and had to ask the question. "Is she going to be alright, doc?"

She stopped scribbling her notes and removed the glasses on her head to look at the fox. "She's fine actually. She's just suffering a bit of flea infestation."

"F-F-F-Flea infeststation!" Judy exclaimed.

The physician looked at her again. "Correction. A major flea infestation."

Nick calmed down a bit. Flea infestation was a common illness. He'd never been hit by it though on the fact that he'd been taking his yearly vaccines but he had seen animals afflicted with the disease on his hustler days. Then a thought occurred to him.

"Judy, have you taken your anti-flea shot?" Nick asked.

Judy looked at him puzzled. "Anti… flea… shots?"

Well that explains it. Judy, growing up from the town of Bunnyburrow, always looked at Zootopia as this place of shining bright lights with its tall skyscrapers overlooking the ills, if her first day was any reminder. Just like flies, they would be allured by the light of a burning candle, unaware of its fiery dangers until it's too late. Of course flea infestation is just a small hiccup of city life. Living in Zootopia is just blueberries and Nick would not trade living anywhere else.

"I've n-n-never h-had a flea infestation b-before."

"You've never had it because the common flea isn't endemic in Bunnyburrow, but you do now." The porcupine explained. "The common flea is a parasite that affects all mammals. It usually manifests itself around on the foot since it's the point of contact to the ground. It then starts spreading everywhere else. And considering flea season started about two weeks ago, I'd say that's about enough of an incubation period before the infestation manifests itself." The physician went over to a stool and placed it near one of the overhead cabinets. "The good news, as pointed out by Officer Wilde, is that this can easily be remedied with a vaccine. It's not really a vaccine though on the fact that it introduces a chemical on the bloodstream that's poisonous to the flea, but not to the host." She opened the cabinet drawers only to find that the cabinet empty. "Hmmm… it seems we have a problem. Unfortunately, I don't have a stock."

"Doctor!" Judy started as she grabbed the coat of the porcupine, pulling her near Judy. Her eyes shrunk. "I'm s-starting to lose m-my mind here! I n-need that v-vaccine so I can g-get on with my duties!"

"Wait a minute."

The both of them looked to Nick, who seemed to have an idea. "Why don't I go to the drugstore and get the vaccines she needs?"

"Good idea." She went over her desk and began to write on her prescription notes. "Take this. She needs about two shots. That's about one every day for two days. That should be enough to kill all of them." She gave the note to Nick.

Nick immediately took the notes and held it tightly with his grip. "I'll be back before you know it, Carrots." He replied as he closed the door.

The porcupine looked at bunny on the patient bed. "I'll be continuing my clinic duties. Under no circumstances you are to leave this bed."

Judy sighed and lied down. "G-Great." She said sarcastically as she scratched herself away.

* * *

Nick wasted no time going to the nearest to the nearest drugstore. It was roughly two blocks away, not a long walk by any stretch of the imagination. He went to the prescription counter the moment he set foot. The sound of what sounded like elevator music filled the air. There was a line, but it was not a very long one. Finally, it was his turn on the table. A hippo, with a nurse outfit, assisted the fox.

"Hello sir, what can I do for you today?" The hippo asked.

"I have a prescription… well it's for my friend." Nick handed to her the prescription notes.

She looked at the notes. "One moment sir." She replied as she went to the store room.

He stayed in place. What's only a few more minutes to add anyway? He looked animal behind him, a deer who was typing away in his phone. It did not take long for the deer to realize that he was being stared at. Nick just smiled at the deer, to which the deer looked closer to his phone as a silent reply to leave him alone.

The hippo soon came back at the counter, but the fox wondered why she did not bring anything with her back from the storage.

"Sir, I'm afraid we've ran out of stock, sir."

"What?" His voice rose, getting the attention of nearby animals. Nick immediately lowered his voice. "How come?"

"It's something that's on high demand considering it's flea season. And there's a backlog too at the pharmaceutical company that makes them. We may not have stock until next month."

"Next month?" His voiced rose again. "Ma'am, you must know some other place that still sells these vaccines."

"Let me check the inventory system. It's possible we still have supplies from other branches." She immediately typed in the name of the drug on the inventory system on the computer. She pressed enter, results immediately popping up. "Well sir, you may be in luck it seems that we still have stock over a branch in Tundratown, but they're running on limited supply. I'd say you should probably get there now befo-" The hippo looked at the fox beyond the counter only to find he was no longer there.

* * *

Nick ran as fast as he could toward the subway station. The trains are the fastest way to get to any point within the city after all.

He approached the train station and went straight pass the ticket scanners. Being an officer meant you can bypass the ticket office, one of the perks of being a cop. He got inside and sped as fast as his fox legs could go. He was on the escalators heading to the platform. Fortunately, the train bound for Tundratown was on the platform.

"Doors are closing." The automated voice from the train spoke.

Nick panicked and sped his way, passing through dozens of commuters from the escalator. Once he got on the foot of the elevator, he went immediately for the train doors, which were already closing. Nick rushed pass the door. He almost thought he made it until the doors closed.

"Ouch!" He yelled as he looked back. His tail got stock in the door. He immediately pulled out his tail, slowly caressing it hoping for the pain to go away. "The things I do for you, Carrots." He mumbled to himself as the train started to leave station.

Nick took the time to catch his breath while on the train. It was then that he realized that something grabbed a hold of his tail, pulling it in a tugging motion. Nick looked behind to see the culprit responsible, it was a young bunny seated on the chair. He just smiled at the bunny. "Aren't you a curious fella?" He greeted before the kid was tugged by the mother beside him, something about not bothering the officer. Other than that, the ride toward Tundratown station was mostly uneventful.

Nick finally alighted the train and made his way out of the station as soon as he can. He needed to on the count that the drugstore was running out of stock. Judy's life depended on it… sort of. Nick did not think she could last another month of flea infestation without losing her sanity. He ran as fast as he could to the Tundratown branch of the drugstore. He finally found his way inside and sped to the prescription counter, handing over the prescription notes to the nurse on station, a moose.

"You need two anti-flea shots?" The moose asked.

"Yes, sir. It's for my friend. She's rather ill as of the moment."

"Well, I do have some good news and bad news for you."

* * *

"W-where is h-he?" The female bunny asked while she seated at the bed. She failed to control her urge to scratch all over her body. Two hours had passed and he had still not returned. Two hours to go to the nearby drugstore, she thought. A twitch in her ear made her do something she has not done yet. She used her left foot to scratch the itch she felt on her ear, just like a dog. The claws will hopefully get the job done. It felt good while she used her arms to scratch other parts of her body. "Awww y-yeahhh…"

Click!

Her eyes popped out as she looked at the entrance, seeing Nick on the door. Nick carried a small brown bag on one hand and a phone on the other.

Nick smiled. "I'm gonna cherish this moment forever."

"N-Nick! D-Delete that p-photo. N-Now!" Her cheeks were red as she stopped what she was doing.

"No way, Carrots! You're lucky I didn't video this."

Judy just glared at Nick. "You're gonna regret that."

The physician then soon emerged from the bathroom of the infirmary. "Oh good! You're here." She looked at the brown bag. "Is that everything?" She asked.

"Well, not quite." His ears dropped a bit to indicate his disappointment. He opened the brown bag and lifted the one vaccine. "Sorry, Carrots, but this is the last one."

"Well, one is better than none, I suppose." The porcupine replied.

Judy's eyes widened at the vaccine. "G-Gimme! Gimme!"

The physician wasted no time. She got the vaccine and readied the patient. Judy gave out her right arm as the porcupine was carefully feeling her arm for a vein.

"Hold still. Take a deep breath." The porcupine directed as she rubbed carefully inserted the needle on her arm. She then placed a cotton ball on top of the syringe as she pulled it out. "Done. Now the drug will start to effect in a few hours, so I suggest you go home and take some rest."

Judy was about to reply in protest, but the porcupine was not finished. "I'll inform Chief Bogo that you'll be taking a two-day sick leave. Now I did require that you need two shots, but hopefully one should control the infestation to manageable levels."

Judy tried to think of her options, but soon enough, she had to comply. She had no choice and knew that this was coming. She felt kind of awkward leaving the precinct before 10 a.m. Nick offered to drive her home with their police car. It was strange sensation to be in the passenger seat for once. Nick had his license renewed a few months back just before getting in to the service. They eventually arrived at the Grand Pangolin Arms, Judy's apartment, where she is to stay for the rest of the day and the next.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Well, this is turning out to be more of a tickle fic :P. Anyway, this is the last part in my two-part story. My thanks for those who reviewed and gave feedback. To Azalmega, yes, I might consider uploading the full story in dA with the cover art, but if I don't do it within the week, it means I forgot :P. Speaking of which, the reason why it took me longer to update is for the cover art for this story, which is nice, but isn't amazing in any stretch of the imagination. Although, if some of you guys can come up with a better cover, feel free to PM me :P. So with that, enjoy :).

* * *

Flea Season (Part 2)

It had been a day since Judy's absence. She had been on leave yesterday and pretty much the whole of today. Nick was relieved that his shift had finally ended and he could check up on his favorite bunny. He took the trains, again being the fastest, toward her place. After that, it was just a walk toward her building. While he was headed there, he wondered what he would see once he sees her. Will she be infestation-free or will she still be itching? The porcupine did say she needed two, but what if one could have worked. Well, he was going to find out eventually. Her building is now on view from he was walking. Though there was still the concern that if she still had fleas, what next? A vaccine would not see the light of day until next month. The chief had thought of extending her leave and since Nick was going to her place anyway, the chief wanted him to relay the message to her. Nick liked the idea of an extended leave. Imagine getting paid to sit around in your house and relax. Of course you have to live with the fact that you're flea-infested. To Judy though, it would be huge dent on pride and her perfectly good attendance, which had already been tarnished as of yesterday.

Pride. She had lots of it. Nick had suggested once that she contact her parents on their way to her home, but Judy refused. If her parents found out, they might think that their little girl does not know how to take care of herself, something which she wanted to prove them. Nick thought she was overreacting; then again, bunnies are so emotional.

His thoughts were such a distraction that he barely noticed that he was at the lobby of Judy's apartment. He discretely made his way to the elevator and went to Judy's floor.

Judy was sleeping when she woke up from the knocking on her door. She felt lethargic. She had spent most of her day itching when the shot took effect. She felt relieved that the itch had died down from yesterday, but it was still there.

"Carrots! Open up!"

It was Nick. Only he called her that name. She looked at her phone and realized that she had slept the whole day away and skipped two meals. No wonder she felt drained.

"I'm coming." She replied as she slowly got out of her bed. She eventually made her way to the front door and opened it. A red fox was on the other side of the door.

"Judy, you're still wearing your uniform." He said.

"Too lazy." Judy replied. She was clearly low on energy.

"Well there's something you don't hear every day." Nick chuckled. "Feeling better?"

"Still itchy." She replied. Although Nick noticed that she had not scratched herself this entire conversation. "Come in."

Nick complied and proceeded to go inside.

It was not Nick's first time to go inside Judy's apartment, but he could never get over the fact at how tiny the entire place was. This studio was smaller than your average studio. Judy had well-off parents, she could easily ask for financial assistance to get a better place.

"So what've you been doing since the last time I saw you?" Nick asked.

"I slept the entire day, Nick. I woke up just now." Judy replied.

"Sorry I bothered you're beauty sleep. You really need it after the way you looked yesterday." Nick smiled casually.

Judy grinned slightly. "Ha ha. Very funny."

Nick took a look at her bed and noticed the dozens of spots coloring the sheet. Nick realized that they were the dead fleas that have fallen off her fur. "Look on the bright side, Carrots. At least it's working." He said pointing to her bed.

"Yeah… well whop-tee-do." She replied. "Is that gonna get me back to work?"

"Actually, that's what I came here to tell you." Nick replied.

This caught the bunny's attention as her eyes and ears were now focused on him. "What do you mean?"

"Chief wants to extend your leave considering the circumstances of your condition."

Judy's face suddenly turned grim. "No." She muttered. "No. No. No." She paced around the room eventually landing face first on the bed, the impact causing more fleas to fall of her fur.

"I can't take this anymore, Nick." Judy replied as she pulled her ears.

"Judy, you can take down a rhino in a fist fight. This should be a cake walk."

"I have millions of bugs attacking me at every part of my body. How is that cake?"

Nick sat on the bed near Judy. He placed his paw and began scratching the fur behind her ear. Judy felt relief as his claws gently stroked her fur. "That feeelz sooo gooood." Judy mumbled as she continued to be face down on the bed.

A thought suddenly occurred to Nick. A smile formed on his lips as he was eager to share his idea with the bunny. "Hey, Carrots. I just got the craziest idea."

Judy rolled over the bed so she could face Nick. "If it will help me with my problem, then I'm all ears."

"Well, you'll love this one."

"Well, spill it, Nick!"

"Okay. My mother, when I was still a little pup, had her way of dealing with flea infestation. Call it traditional medicine or whatever. It actually works and it's very effective." He explained while scratching one of her ears.

"Nick, I think I'm open to any suggestions right now."

"Good." Nick then fell down over the bunny and covered her body securely. Judy tried to squirm at first, but soon stopped as she looked at him. Nick's face was staring at the bunny's who looked directly at him. "'cuz I think you're gonna enjoy this, Carrots, as will I."

"Nick, what are yo-"

She was not able to finish her question when Nick put her right ear between his teeth. "You know, I always wanted to know what bunny tastes like." Judy was caught surprised to see her ears about to be chewed, but instead of a painful bite, a ticklish lick came instead.

Goosebumps overcame her body as her ears twitched at the sensation of being touched by a slobbery tongue.

"Ni-I-ICK!" Her voice struggled as Nick slowly pulled away her ear with his muzzle before finally letting go. She took her time to breathe to recover from the sensation. "Sweet cheese crackers! What was that for?"

It did not take long for her to realize what he did as she looked at his face. His mouth was filled with red spotty things that she could only guess were the parasites violating her. His tongue moved around his mouth trying to sweep said parasites into his mouth. "Scared you, didn't I?"

She had to admit it. Nick scared her a bit at the beginning. Now, she's just confused. "So your plan is to lick the fleas out of me?"

"Don't question mother's ways. Mother always knows best. And besides, I always thought you were a believer of the Zootopian spirit. I lick you. You become parasite-free while I get a free dinner. It's called mutualism."

"Yeah, I don't think being cleansed with saliva is considered clean." Judy replied.

"Come on, Carrots." He gave the bunny his trademark half-lidded gaze. "Don't tell me a part of you didn't enjoy that." He moved his face closer to hers, his breath heating up her face. "You know you want to." He whispered.

And Judy had to admit, as he pulled away her ears, she felt a sensation that she could not quite describe fully but the sensation still lingered in her head … and it felt goooooood. "Nick?"

"Yeah, Carrots?"

She relaxed herself. "Please! Just do my other ear."

Nick smiled. "I'm not yet done with your right." Nick put his mouth back to her ears. "I knew you'd enjoy this."

"Just shut up."

And with Judy's permission, Nick gently pulled her ear with his teeth once more. She shivered at the sensation again. "Couldn't you do two at a time?" She asked.

"Aren't you the eager beaver? Just relax, Carrots. You're gonna get the full treatment."

The two licks had done its job of keeping Judy's ear clean for the most part, leaving only a few stragglers hiding behind the gray fur. Instead of licking the remaining fleas, Nick opted to pick them up one by one. It was easier now that they were quite few.

She gave her other ear the same treatment, scraping the fleas with the help of his teeth and tongue before picking the remaining leftovers. Judy just cringed at the sensation of her ears being pampered in a way that no one has ever done. Was she being tickled? Was she being massaged? She thought it was a bit of both. Judy was grateful for what Nick was doing for her. And maybe just this once, she was grateful she had a predator for a friend.

"Well, that was fun." Nick replied as he momentarily stopped.

"You're finished?"

"Oh I'm just getting started, Carrots. I just need a glass of water." He said.

"The faucet has potable water."

Nick took a glass and began pouring water from the faucet. He took several gulps from the full glass and laid it down in the sink when he was finished. Before she knew it, he was back from the short break. "Now, where were we?"

Judy continued to lie down expectantly, waiting for his teeth or tongue, whichever, to reach whatever part of her body he pleased to go for next. She got a surprise when she got a lick right on her face.

"Nick!" Her face was covered in saliva. Her protest fell on deaf ears as he made another run for her face. "Nick hold u-" Her words were swallowed as Nick's tongue, instead of going through her chin to her forehead, stopped between her teeth. Nick, realizing his lips were in contact with hers, immediately pulled out. Judy felt his tongue slide away her teeth. If it was not for the thick covering of their fur, they would have seen each other blushing at the unintentional kiss. Nick smiled sheepishly as a sort of 'I didn't mean to' response. Judy returned the smile.

"You've got something on your teeth." Judy said.

"You too." Nick replied.

Apparently, both their teeth were covered with the fleas.

"Well, I guess… I should… let you… clean them too?" She said, although it came out more as a question than a request.

Nick was relieved that she did not think any malice at the unintentional kiss, but to kiss her again, with her consent? She must really like the treatment.

But to be honest, he liked it too.

Nick returned her permission with a longer kiss, scooping up the remaining fleas with his tongue. "Enjoyed that?" Nick asked.

Judy playfully pushed Nick up, effectively pushing his head a bit farther. "Don't get used to it, you dumb fox."

"Says the bunny who somehow got herself infested with fleas in the first place."

Judy rolled her eyes, although he did have a point. Judy was always so careful. She always took good care of herself, so to be in this situation was a slap in the face in spite of her best efforts. He continued licking and nibbling on her face. By the end of 'treatment', her face resembled a wet gumdrop.

Nick soon went for her hands, putting every finger in his mouth one by one, sucking them up like lollipops. Nick took his time here though, making sure he did his job thoroughly. Judy knew that while Nick cleaned her out, she was sure that there were still some left over, but at least the itch is almost nonexistent. She felt a lot more relieved that she may get to see some normalcy and perhaps get back to work soon, probably even before the week ends.

"You know, you should try to change your clothes, Carrots. Carrots?" Nick stopped sucking her fingers, only to see that Judy had fallen asleep. "Guess I must be doing a good job." Nick chuckled. He was pretty much done with her hands.

Moving to her cotton tail, he rolled her roll face down. Her fur was dotted with the pest like a Christmas tree… whatever that is. Nick easily swallowed her tail whole and pulled it up and outward. In two sweeps, he was able to get most of the fleas in to his mouth, picking off the few he can see with his claws. Judy slept through the entire step.

Now, it was time to get dirty. Nick lowered his gaze on her feet, which were the most flea-infested parts of her body. The amount of fur that had already fallen off meant that he could slightly see the high amount of fleas still residing between her toes, feasting on its flesh. She was still wearing the ankle pads, which seemed to cover what was underneath. Carefully, he slowly removed her ankle pads, making sure as to not wake her. The sight that greeted him was disgusting. Her soles were covered with the parasite caught between her fur. Some bite marks actually resembled wounds and the fact that they had been covered meant that some were open. They were not deep though and most likely won't get infected. Nick made a mental note to buy disinfectant for her when he goes to the drugstore maybe. But perhaps the most notable thing about her paws was the smell.

Evolution is a funny thing. The change from survivalist society to a progressive one had several changes in the mammal anatomy of nearly all species. One of them was the formation of sweat glands.

"The things I do for you, Carrots."

Nick readied his tongue and stuck it out, but as he came closer and gave his first lick, a new sensation came over him. Maybe it was the slight hint of blood still covering the small open wounds or the oddly inviting odor coming from the rabbit's paw, but whatever it was, the fusion of flavors it added to the fleas he scooped in his mouth was what he suddenly craved for. All of a sudden, he wanted more.

Almost immediately, Nick changed his stance from one with care to one that is more aggressive and wasted no time to feed on her paws.

Judy Hopps violently woke up from a burst of electrical signals to her brain coming from her right foot paw. The initial shock brought about her confusion, but when she had adjusted, she realized that Nick was slobbering her foot violently. Almost immediately, she reacted by grabbing the bed covers with both paws on opposite sides into a death grip.

"NICK!" She called out for every lick she felt. "NICK!… NICK!… "

* * *

 _NICK!… NICK!… NICK!…_

Buck Oryx-Antlerson continued reading his magazine on a dusty couch while the commotion on the other side of the thin wall continued.

 _YOU'RE GOING… TOO FAST!_

Buck flipped to the next page. "Bunnies."

* * *

"NICK!… STOP!" She yelled as she kicked the fox to the wall with her powerful legs. The cessation of assault on her paws gave her a moment to catch her breath. He looked at the fox who was momentarily still on the ground. He was slowly coming too. "What was that all about!" Judy asked.

The fox slowly got up from the floor and rested his body on the foot of Judy's bed. Thankfully, he incurred no injuries. "Yeah. Sorry about that, Carrots. Let's just say I haven't tasted rabbit flesh. Bloody paws got me carried away." He explained. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Judy looked at both her paws. Thankfully, aside from the wounds she gathered from the infestation, there were no further injuries. "Not really. Maybe you oughta take it slow?"

"You still want to continue?" Nick asked, puzzled.

"Between this and these things around me, yeah I think I can manage a fox going crazy on me. Besides, I like kicking you hard." She gave him a smug smile.

Nick returned the smile with his own. "You, Carrots, are truly something else."

Nick resumed feeding on her paws, albeit at a slower pace. Judy winced a bit, but otherwise, she was actually enjoying the treatment. He moved on to her infested toes and finally started scooping up the fleas there and in-between. Her body was becoming more and more relaxed. "Nick, you sure have a way with paws."

"I aim to please, especially if it's my partner."

Nick finally moved to her other paw and performed exactly the same things with the other. Nick could tell with her body language that she was really enjoying it. Looks like Carrots found herself a guilty pleasure, he thought. He made another lick to her sole. Apparently, so have I.

Nick made the final touches with her left foot paw before finally setting it down. "Well Carrots, you're one heck of a workout. Looks like I won't be able to keep my promise of a full-body cleansing. Didn't think I'd actually get full from this."

"I gotta admit." She made an audible yawn. "That was amazing."

"Likewise, Jud's. Apparently, I've developed a craving for rabbit-flavored fleas."

"Speaking of cravings, I'm starving. I haven't eaten all day." She replied.

"Just lie down and rest, tall ears. I can order delivery for you." He slowly came to a landline phone on the table.

"Nick?"

Nick looked back to Judy, her face had a slight hint of trouble. "Hmm?"

"This thing… you know… what we just did. Promise me you won't tell anyone." Judy asked, clearly embarrassed.

Nick gave her a reassuring smile. "You're secret's safe with me, Carrots."

"Thanks. Now I still have a month to endure this, maybe you could… come by once in a while to… you know… give me a good cleansing."

Nick chuckled. "The things I do for you, Carrots. I suppose that's what friends do."

Judy smiled. "Yeah… friends."

"With benefits?" Nick gave her a wink in the eye.

Judy tilted her head and grinned. "With benefits."

…

* * *

A/N: Well, that sums up the story. As much as I'd like to extend this ridiculous fanfic, I feel that it might go for the M-rating considering other… parts where intentionally left out. But from personal experience of writing M-rated fics… what am I saying, I have zero experience writing M-rated fanfics, so it's out of the question :P.

I'm gonna go back to my regular programming, but I could make an epilogue if people request for it. It won't be long though. With that, I hope you guys enjoyed the ride. I know I did.


	3. Epilogue

A/N: Well, this is it. I'd like to thank those who've given me feedback and faved and followed this story. As some people would love to see an epilogue, I decided to make one, also as an attempt to really put closure in this story. It's interesting how this little experiment started out. With the response I've gotten, I think I'd be doing more short fics in the future. I've already got an idea for my next one. Just need to balance this with my main story.

Disclaimer: I just want to point out that any diseases mentioned in this fic may be inspired by real life, but aren't exactly equivalent and are fictitious and is only meant for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

Flea Season (Epilogue)

It had been a two weeks since Judy fell prey to the predators of the tiny kind. But if there was any consolation to all of this, it was that Nick kept his promise and did a full body bath for the bunny… everyday…

And he was getting better at it too… getting faster. Nick would carefully lick her, his tongue ventured to unexplored territories. And Judy would just let him. And after everything, she was covered in saliva. And maybe it was not so bad. A part of Judy still thought that this was taboo, but if it felt good, did it matter? Of course… she still had to take a real bath afterwards. Can't go to the station smelling like drool.

And it did help. Nick had significantly reduced the number of fleas stuck in her fur. It was not like the first few days where the itch was maddeningly unbearable, but she was starting to get better physically. Patches of fur that had fallen off were beginning to regrow, the itch was nothing more than slight irritations on her fur. The wounds and bite marks were beginning to heal. She was beginning to look more presentable that she was finally allowed to go on patrol with Nick despite the fact that the anti-flu shots were not due for two weeks. But it did not matter much. As long as she had Nick, she could get through two more weeks.

And get through she did. She was able to persevere. Word got out that anti-flea vaccine had finally come back in stock. Nick wasted no time to inform her through his phone. Relieved that she was not going to wait two more weeks, she excitedly made her preparations for work. They would meet each other on the way to the station.

"Hey partner! Ready to get a final dose of that anti-flea shot?" Nick asked.

"Sure am, Slick. I gotta admit, I can't wait 'til this is all over." Judy replied.

"I will miss all our… special activities though."

"Who says you need to have fleas to do that?"

"I guess you're right, Carrots."

They continued to walk their way to work. And with thirty minutes to before time-in, what could go wrong?

Meanwhile in the bullpen, police officers sat at their respective seats waiting for the morning brief. It was looking like another typical day, with the officers finding ways to kill time before the meeting with the chief. Clawhauser stationed himself, as always, on the front desk. There was a new Gazelle app called Dance Parade with Gazelle that allowed you to place your friends in an entire concert hall. He could not believe it. Just when you thought the creators have outdone themselves to put you and three other friends to pose as tigers, you know have your entire friends listed in a private party with Gazelle. "What will they think of next?" Just as he was about to search his friends list, the main doors opened. The familiar sight of gray bunny and red fox ears came to view. "How's my favorite duowowo…"

"Mornin' Spots." Nick replied as the two headed for the bullpen.

Clawhauser tried to reply but nothing came out of his mouth.

"What's the matter? Fox got your tongue?" Judy replied slyly to the obese cheetah at the front desk.

The cheetah just watched the two head out. When they were out of view, he immediately grabbed his phone and began typing a post in his furbook account. He immediately pressed enter and it was published.

Inside the bullpen, everyone with a phone received a new notification from their furbook.

"Hey, you guys got a new notification?" Delgato asked.

"It's from Clawhauser, apparently." Fangmeyer replied.

"I got one too!" Francine yelled out.

"What does it say?" Wolford replied.

Snarlov clicked the notification button on his phone and read Clawhauser's post. "NickXJudy confirmed?"

"Well, what in the world does he mean by that?" McHorn asked.

Just then the back door opened revealing the fox and bunny duo. They all stared at the two new entrants, who returned their glances.

"Good… morning?" Judy awkwardly replied.

Just then, Chief Bogo entered the room, surprised to see that the bullpen had already settled. "There's a first time for everything, I suppose. I've got new items on the… what are you all staring at?" The chief finally pinpointing the source of their attention, dropping his files as he looked at Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde. "Oh my."

Apparently, they were all looking at Nick's and Judy's faces, their mouths in particular. Patches of fur on their mouths seem to be falling off and all covered in some sort of rash that was not their earlier in the morning.

* * *

It was not even a question, Nick and Judy were told to escort themselves to the infirmary, both flushed by the fact that the rashes on their mouths seemed to imply something intimate. The porcupine practitioner carefully examined the two. Judy, who was due to get her last flea shot, seemed to have staved off most of the infestation, which impressed the doctor.

"So… what's wrong with us, doc?" Nick asked calmly.

The porcupine began scribbling notes. "Well… it seems that both of you have a case of… cooties."

Nick gave an unamused look. "Hardy har har. Very funny." Nick answered back.

The porcupine just laughed it off. "Forgive me, I just had to, but may I ask a question? This may be a bit personal though."

The two nodded. "Yes."

"Any chance you… performed… any traditional methods to flea infestation?"

The two went wide-eyed, dumbfounded that the medical practitioner had her hunches right on the money. "H-how did you know?" Judy asked.

"Well… you two have a classic case of Paw and Mouth Disease. Apparently, Officer Hopps, you caught it via… oh I don't know… a kiss maybe?" The porcupine looked at the fox slyly. "So Officer Wilde, judging by the size of your rashes, I take it her paws really taste that good."

"Oh my goodness!" The two looked out the window horrified to see Clawhauser, his voice muffled as he looked through the window, eavesdropping on their conversation. "Judy! Nick! I didn't know you two were into that. This is so cool! Wait 'til I tell every..." The porcupine immediately closed the blinds.

Had the fox not have red fur, they would have seen his face beaming red. "I-I-I…" He stuttered. Judy was unlucky, her redness was showing, too embarrassed to say anything as she made an attempt to curl her toes in an attempt to hide her paws.

"Yup. I still got it." The porcupine smiled. "The good news is that no medication is needed. These things kinda go away naturally. Of course, there is a medication that can make this go much sooner-"

"WE'LL TAKE IT!" The two partners replied in unison.

"Right. Some Paw and Mouth Disease medication coming right up." She put down her pen and notes as she made her way towards one of the cabinets. She opened it only to give out a look of confusion. She stared back at her patients, waiting for her to hand them the medication. "There appears to be a slight problem."

"W-what's that?" The two officers simultaneously replied.

The porcupine took a deep breath. "I'm afraid… we're out of stock."

END

* * *

A/N: Well… that's officially the end of that. Again, I hope you guys enjoyed reading this the way I enjoyed writing this. Don't forget to leave a feedback :).


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